How I Became A Makeup Artist

Hey guys! Welcome, or welcome back to the blog! This week I wanted to take some time to introduce the brand new Banish Warriors forBanishacnescars. If you're not aware of what a "Banish Warrior"is, they basically share their own journeys in dealing with acne while embodying what the company stands for; strength, empowerment, determination, and courage.

Each warrior is unique in their own way, from healing themselves internally through diet and focusing on the external esthetic factors of skin to being a lover for makeup and a positive ray of sunshine for all acne sufferers. The four warriors each present a unique personality and outlook when it comes to what truly defines them as the embodiment of Banish. This week, I sat down with each of them individually in one-on-one interview and got to pick their brains.

Today's Interview and blog post is going to be all about the former, and current banish warrior we've all grown to love Haley (@themakeupgirl). As a long-time makeuplover and professional artist forAnastasia BeverlyHills, we discussed some of her current makeup favorites and what makeup or skincare trends youshouldn'tbe trying. Keeping reading below to get to know all about Haley, her journey with makeup and skincare, and her goals this second time around as abanishwarrior.

A love for makeup

Haley has always had a love for makeup, hence the name @themakeupgirl. It started at a really young age. Even inhigh school her friends would have her do their makeup for special events like prom and homecoming. She never thought about it as a career until after she graduated and thought, heyim good at this and I love it, why not go to school for it?

She quickly enrolled in beauty school before college, preforming makeup for plays and being an "on set" artist. Before she knewit, she was doing weddings and making her passion afull-time job working for several different companies, including Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH).

Feeling unsatisfied with her current work she began exploring the idea of special effects just a few years ago. With Halloween being her favorite holiday AND having the skills of a makeup artist it was a no brainer. She begancreating her own characters with costume pieces from the dollar store and paid special attention to the painting and shadowing of each creepy persona. Using solely makeup for both her beauty and special effects makeup, its forced her tocontinuously grow as an artist.

Ina currentlyoversatured market of beauty and skincare accounts I asked, what made her stand out and what is her mission in the creation of her account?

"I don't know if I am really trying to stand out, I just love makeup regardless and want to share that love with the world. One thing I will say that's different between me and most makeup gurus is I only use cruelty free makeup. That’s a really important aspect to me andI've been that way for four years. It started out as a slow transition but now every single product I own is cruelty free. This wayI'm friendly not just to the commonconsumer, but vegans and those who solely purchase cruelty free products as well (Haley)."

Not being able to go out and just purchaseany makeup product has helped her to develop drastically as an artist which can clearly be seen in her work.

the current instagram makeup trend

Okay, so we've all seen it. Itcan't be ignored. Over the past few yearsInstagram makeup has taken over. It doesn't matter ifyou're scrolling through your news feed on social media or shopping at target, you're going to come across it assome point. I don't wear makeupthatoften but if its anything like the skincare trends, I've seen some pretty cringe worthy devices and products. Anything from peeling black masks to devices that are supposed to suck out your pores-ps these should probably be avoided as its stretching your skin and causing more harm than good. When it comes to makeup, however, itisn'tnecessarily the products themselves but the techniques that are being used.

"I see people doing incorrect techniques all the time, of course no one is perfect, everyone can always work on their craft but the biggest thing onInstagram right now is highlighting and contouring. I absolutely love makeup, but you don’t need to use that much. People who are watching these tutorials don’t understand that the only reason to do that is because it shows up better on camera. Then they try it in real life, it looks crazy, and the excess amount of makeup can start breaking out your skin. When it comes to highlighting andcontouring, less is more. You really just don't need that many products.It's also important to mention thateveryone should be highlighting andcontouring differently depending on their face shape,it's not a one size fits all approach like some believe (Haley)."

Not all trends are alike though, one ofHaley'scurrent favorites is the lip care trends.Hydrating, using oil, and taking care of dead skin by using a lip scrub is crucial to a healthy pout. One of her favorites is the banish oil to moisture and prep her lips for the perfect lipstick application. She also doesn't think you need so many products to achieve a perfect makeup look. Some of her key favorites are the Anastasia clear brow gel, It cosmetics superhero mascara, and the balm cosmetics primer (and of course a stock pile of backup falsies). She even says these are the three products she would bring if she were ever stranded on a desert island.

acne free journey

Before Haley began using Banish over a year ago her skin was really struggling, which I can totally relate to. She tried using a bunch of different products but nothing ever really helped her until she started usingall-natural products. The most noticeable thing banish has consistently helped with is the texture of her skin.

"The redness and scaring can take a little while to go away, but at least my skin is smooth. That's something I couldn't say before I started using banish. Banish really works. It also doesn't hurt that they're cruelty free, gluten free, and dairy free (Haley)."

Other things that have helped her skin were going completely dairy and gluten free. As many people advocate, she attempted veganism but wasn't getting enough nutrients and started gettingfrequent nosebleeds so she began slowly incorporating leaner meats and eating a moreplant-based diet.

"When it comes to the health of your skin,it's important to beconscious of howyou're eating.What's helped me the most is vegetables, you want to fill up on a ton of veggies to get all of their nutrients. Of course, water helps too. WhenI'm really good ill drink 1gallon of water a day, but I am for at least half a gallon. Add some lemon, and you'll physically see the brightening effect on your skin (Haley)."

haley´s mission

Haley says her main goal is to be a resource for people to talk to about skin problems, makeup techniques, or just ask for advice in general. She hopes to be a helpful source of skincare and makeup, learning and researching a lot over the years;she's willing to reach out to those who have questions, comments, and concerns, and just wants our community to feel like a family.

" I want the community to feel like a family. Encourage people and bring out theirself-confidence, especially if you wear makeup. People who wear a lot of makeup don't talk about the acne that comes with it because ofembarrassment. I just want people to know that it happens toeveryone andit's really not a big deal. Do not be ashamed of it (Haley)."

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